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GAR COUPLING Patented Jan. 29, 1895.

W/T/VESSES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

F. MARQUETTE. GAR COUPLING.

No. 533,071. Patented Jan. 29, 1895. Y

W/ T/VES'SESL //l MFA/70R.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MARQUETTE, OF FULTON, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF- TO JOHN JEFFERSON BROWN, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

sPnoIFIoA'rIoN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 533,071, dated January 29, 1895.

Application filed March 28, 1894.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MARQUETTE,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Fulton, in the county of Oallaway and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Automatic Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of car couplings which employ an arrow-headed draw-bar and are adapted to effect an automatic coupling.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and improved automatic car coupling which will be comparatively but little more expensive than the ordinary pin and link coupling, and which will furthermore possess advantages in point of durability, ease and convenience in operation, positive action, effectiveness,-and general efficiency.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a perspective View of a car coupling embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, on the line 0c:r, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, on the line y-y, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail top plan view of the drawhead. Fig. 6 is a detail bottom plan view of the draw-head. Fig. 7 is a detail front view of the draw-head. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of one of the coupling pins. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of the drawbar.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same letters of reference.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the draw-head, which is provided with a recess or throat for the draw-bar or coupling link, the rear portion of this throat being curved or inclined upwardly and downwardly, as shown at a a, to form a flaring recess in which the arrow head is adapted to play in a vertical plane. The throat is provided with a flaring mouth, a, the arrow head being thereby adapted to strike any of the flaring sides of the mouth and automaticallyengage the draw head on curves and at different heights. In the standard size of my improved coupling, this engagement will be perfectly efiected under a vertical variation of at least four and one-half inches and on a curve of at least 50 twenty-two degrees. The walls of the throat Serial No. 505,466. (No model.)

7 or recess are preferably formed-ona continuous convex curve, substantially as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Near the front of the draw-head, it is provided with a vertical perforation, a adapted to receive an ordinary coupling pin when desired.

At a suitable distance in rear of its mouth, the draw-head is provided with two vertical perforations or openings, A A, in parallel position on a transverse plane and arranged 6o a suitable distance apart, the body of the tdraw-head at this point being preferably en'- larged or extended laterally as shown in Figs.

5 and 6. The portion of these perforationsin the upper wall of the draw-head is preferably square or rectangular, as shown at a a, to prevent turning of the coupling pins, while the portion of said perforations in the bottom or lower wall of the draw-head is formed in the shape of a transversely-disposed slot, as shown at a 0. to permit play of the lower ends of the coupling pins in a transverse plane. The top of the draw-head at the perforations A A preferably forms a flat plane, as shown at of.

B B designate two swinging coupling pins, which are respectively seated in the perforations A A. These pins are provided with a suitable supporting head, b, which rests on top the draw-head, and have a slot, 19, at their lower end which projects below the drawhead, inwhich slots keys, B, are inserted to prevent unintentional disengagement of the coupling pins from the draw-head. The front edge or face, 19 of the coupling pins is prefer- 8 5 ably slightly rounded, to enable the separation of the pins by the point of the arrow head with facility, and the rear face, b of the pins is preferably on an angular plane corresponding to the angle of the rear face of the fin of the arrow head, to permit a firm and secure engagement of the arrow head with the coupling pins. This latter construction causes the arrow head to more firmly engage the coupling pins as the draft in- 5 creases. The portion 0f the pins passing through the openings of in the top of the drawhead are preferably correspondingly rectangular, which precludes turning of the pins, and the said top openings at are adapted to I00 permit requisite play of the top ends of the pins. conform in contour to the slots a designates the draw-bar or coupling link, which is provided with an arrow-shaped head, c, at each end. The arrow heads 0 c are curved at their top and bottom, as shown at c, to form a point which facilitates the engagement of the arrow head with the mouth of the drawhead at varying heights and enables play of the head in the recess a at the rear end of the throat of the draw-head.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

\Vhen the arrow head enters the draw-head it automatically separates the swinging coupling pins and passes back of the latter, when the pins return to their normal position and a secure coupling is effected. To provide for coupling with an ordinary pin, in case of breakage or under other circumstances, the draw-bar O is provided with vertical perforations c adapted to register with the front perforation a of the draw-head and receive an ordinary coupling pin. By the arrangement just described, my improved coupling is also adapted to be used in conjunction with an ordinary pin and link coupling. The arrow-headed draw-bar may be set in an ordinary pin and link draw-head and in this position is adapted to automatically effect a coupling with a car having my improved drawhead. An automatic coupling may thus be eifected between a car having an ordinary pin and link coupling and a car provided with my improved coupling, and this advantage is an important desideratum in myinvention.

To provide for separating the coupling plus, to permit the withdrawal of the arrow head in uncoupling, a suitable uncoupling mechanism is connected with the tops of the swinging pins. I prefer to employ the mechanism herein illustrated which embodies U shaped links, D D, respectively connected with the outer ends of the heads of the swinging pins, this connection being preferablyformed by a bolt, cl, passing through an eye, 61', in the head of the coupling pins. The convergent links D D are connected by an elongated loop or ring, E, having its upper end connected with a crank shaft, F, suitably mounted on the end of the car. Thus, by operating the crank shaft and by the action of the intermediate ring and links, the swinging pins are drawn toward each other at their tops and correspondingly separated or spread apart at the bottom, permitting the withdrawal of the arrow-head.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut- 1. In a car coupling, a draw-head having two swinging looselymounted unpivoted gravity pins projecting downwardly through the main throat or recess and arranged a proper distance apart and on a transverse plan e, the pins The lower ends of the pins preferably being supported upon their heads and Without pivotal connection with the drawhead, said pins being adapted to have their lower ends spread apart and engage an arrowheaded draw-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car coupling, a draw-head provided with two vertical perforations or openings in parallel position on a transverse plane, the portion of said openings passing through the upper wall of the draw-head being substantially rectangular and the portion of the openings passing through the lower wall of the draw-head being extended in the form of slots,

and vertical swinging loosely-mounted unpivoted gravity pins mounted in and accommodated by said openings, the pins being supported upon their heads and Without pivotal connection with the drawhead and the lower ends of the pins being adapted to be spread apart and engaged by an arrow-headed drawbar, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car coupling, a draw-head having a throat or recess provided wi th a flaring mouth, ct, and the flaring recess 0t and having the openings at a and the slot-shaped openings d a; and vertical loosely-mounted unpivoted swinging pins accommodated by said openings and passing through the same, and normally supported in operating position by their headed top ends said swinging pins being adapted to have their lower ends spread apart and engaged by an arrow-headed draw-bar; substantially as set forth.

i. As an improvement in car couplings, the combination, with a drawhead having the vertical perforations or openings A A embodying the rectangular portions a a and the slotshaped portions of a and headed swinging pins mounted in the said openings and conforming thereto,saidswinginggravity pins being loosely mounted and unpivoted and being normally supported in operative position by their headed ends, of an arrow-headed draw-bar adapted to automatically engage said swinging pins, substantially as set forth.

5. As an improvement in car couplings, the combination, with a draw-headprovided with a throat or recess having the flaring mouth a and the flaring rear recess a and having the rectangular openings a a and the slotshaped openings a a and vertically-mounted headed swinging pins mounted in the said openings, said swinging gravity pins being loosely mounted and unpivoted and normally supported in operative position by their heads I) b which extend beyond the rectangular openings a a of an arrow-headed draw-bar adapted to engage said swinging pins and having its arrow-head curved at the top and bottom to form a point, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a car coupling, the combination, with a draw head having two vertical looselymounted unpivoted swinging gravity pins arranged in parallel position on a transverse plane and provided with an angular rear face corresponding to the angle of the rear face of the fin of the arrow-head, the pins being supported upon their heads and without pivotal connection with the drawhead, of an arrowheaded draw-bar adapted to spread the swinging pins apart and engage said angular rear face, substantially as set forth.

7. In a car coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having the rear portion of its throat curved orinclined upwardly and downwardly to form'a flaring rear recess, a, in rear of the main recess and having swinging gravity pins operating in a transverse plane in the main recess, of an arrow-headed drawhead having its arrow-head curved at its top and bottom to form a point, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a car coupling of the class described, the combination, with a draw-head having two vertically-mounted headed swinging pins arranged in parallel position on a transverse plane and projecting downwardly through the throat or main recess, of convergentlinks connected with the outer ends of the heads of said pins, and mechanism for operating said links to draw the upper ends of the swinging pins toward each other, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

. 9. The herein-described improved car coupling, comprising the draw-head having the throat or recess provided with the flaring or face b mouth a and the flaring rear recess a and having the rectangular openings a a and the slot-shaped openings a, a the vertical looselymounted unpivoted headed swinging pins accommodated in and conforming to said openings and provided with the curved front edge and the angular rear face b the pins being supported upon their heads and without pivotal connection with the drawhead; and the arrow-headed draw-bar having its arrow-heads curved at their top and bottom to form a point; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. As an improvement in car couplings, the combination, with a draw-head, provided with two vertically mounted unpivoted gravity coupling pins arranged in parallel position on a transverse plane and adapted to be separated by swinging upon their heads,

of an arrow-headed draw-bar adapted to au- 50 tomatically separate said vertically-mounted pins and pass behind the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK MARQUETTE.

Witnesses:

ROBT. CREAGHEAD, J. S. HENNENRIDGE. 

